The United Nations.

An essential part of developing intercultural competence is the ability to analyze and understand a situation. Interculturalists strive to understand how a member of a given culture perceives the world. Similarly, a person with a background in international studies must look at the various reasons why a society or people pursue certain policies. People working within both of these fields ask questions when addressing a situation. Some of these basic questions exemplify how intercultural learning (ICL) is distinct from international relations (IR). Take these questions as examples – In each pair, one question relates more to ICL and the other to IR. Can you guess which?

A) What type of person has authority in this culture?
B) What does the concept of authority mean to the people of this culture?

A) What advantages does this society’s natural environment offer?
B) What does the society’s relationship with the land tell us about its value system?

A) How has a national government planned for long term international challenges?
B) What is the time orientation (long term or short term) of people who belong to the nation’s dominant culture?

The three questions preceded by the letter ‘A’ are typically asked by a person with a background in international relations. The main focus of these questions is to seek answers about how a society organizes and governs itself. In an international context, the answers to these questions would increase our knowledge of the society’s leaders, the practical consequences of its natural resources and overall governing policies.

In contrast, the three questions preceded by the letter ‘B’ relate more to the concepts and theories of ICL. The answers to these questions could help us understand a culture from its own perspective. They could provide us with information about the given culture’s view of authority, why its people interact with the environment in a particular way and in what context the people plan for the future.

While all of these questions focus on foreign cultures, they provide answers that are unique to either the field of international relations or intercultural learning. At AFS, it is common for a sojourner to question why a foreign culture values a particular behavior or belief system. It is equally common for the AFSer to use increased understanding of a host culture as a way to become more accustomed to different situations and interact with different people throughout life. At its core, ICL offers educational strategies to view and comprehend difference on a more personal level. Hence, the concepts and theories are more uniquely suited to the needs of AFS than other subjects with an international focus.

Paul Edinger is a contributing writer for the ICL Blog. He was an intern at AFS International in 2011 in the Development and Branding department, and continued in 2012 in the Intercultural Learning department. He holds a B.A. in International Studies.